Machine for making metal fabric



W. LOACH.

MACHINE FOR HAKNG METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1916.

1,196,004. Patented Aug. '29, 1916 5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. LOACH.

MACHINE FOR MAKING METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FltED rcmza. 1916.

1,196,004. Patented .29 6.

5 SH SHEE I H I a I s I g I I H R I! Mild 1| I I 3 a f R T m g lllllllllllll n g I M? I 1 g g 1 w Mmfii V Mum/rm W I EX 3/? I a I 736.

W. LOACH.

MACHINE FOR MAKING METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 28, 1915-,

Patented Aug. 29,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- a QNNN &W m

II] I AMA 555 W. LOAGH.

MACHINE FOR MAKING METAL FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-28.1916- 1,196,004. Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

T TW 1 i L L af/r/vzss Ill/ENTER 7V V jllllli' Q g 7% Pl-till O IIIIII:I

1 Wing!!! W. LOACH.

APPLICATION m m. 28' m Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

v\| /vv v )O imam. B W/ fiijiffijnn' ll 1. 11 I A 10 ll rib formed therein.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LOACH, OF OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEDLAR PEOPLE LIMITED, 0F OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING METAL FABRIC.

r application filed November 2, 1915, Serial No. 59,311.

Specification of Letters Patent.

28, 1916. Serial No. 81,053.

' necting strips of an Improved character to be turned out rapidly and at low cost.

Further objects are to strengthen unexpanded connectin strips to prevent breakmg of the stran s at thepoint where the expanded portion connects with the unexanded portion and to provide for shortenmg of the unexpanded section to compensate with the expanded section.

According to the present invention, the unexpanded portions are shortened simultaneously with the expanding of the other portions and in a further operation the unexpanded portions are strengthened byupsetting corrugations formed therein.

Further features and objects of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine for performing the principal operation of the method. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same artially in section. Fig. 3 is. a sectional detail through a pair of dies used to finish the product. Fig. 4: is a front elevation of a set of dies forming the ribs in the product. Fig. '5 is a front elevation of the rst set of rollers. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail through the feeding rolls. Fi 7 is a sectional detail of the feeding rol s. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the metal blank after it has received the first slitting operation. Fig. 9 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a perspective iew of the product after the first step in the expansion. Fig. 11 is a plan View of the od. not after it has expanded and has. the first Fig. 12 is a section through the product'shown in Fig. .11. Fig.

13 is a sectional view'through the fin al product.

In the drawings like characters of refer ence indicate corresponding parts in all figures.

The process uses as raw material strips of sheet metal of any desired and convenient gage, such as at present used for the manufacture of which is known as expanded metal. These strips are first slit in the usual way prior to expansion, the slitting operation being accomplished on any suitable rotary cutter, the product as it comes from these slitting rollers being shown in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings.

It'will be seen that the strip A is formed with unslit or'plain portions 10 and slit portions 11, said slit portions being designed to be expanded in the manner hereinafter described. a I

The next operation is the expansion which is accomplished by passing the slit strip A between pairs of laterally separated rollers having. their peripheries radiallyseparated.

. The machine for this purpose is shown In the drawings and will be briefly described.

The process or method is covered by my copending application Serial No. 59311 filed November 2nd. 1915 of'which this is a division.

The machine illustrated comprises a plurality of pairs of rotary dies B, C, D, E and F mounted on shafts 12 and 13. .The shaft 13 is journaled in suitable hearings in the side frames G and H while the shaft 12 is journaled in suitable sliding bearings 15 which are adapted to be adjusted in position by adjusting screws 16 whereby the shaft 12 with the dies thereon may be adjusted to and from the shaft 13. i

The dies are laterally separated'from each other as indicated and one of the dies of each pair are free on the shaft, thus for instance in the pair of dies B the die 17 is conneoted to and rotates with the shaft 12 while the die 18 is loose onthe shaft 13. In the next pair the die 20 will be connected to the shaft 13 While the die 21 is loose on the shaft 12. In the pair D the die 22 will rotate with the shaft 12 while the die 23 is free on the shaft 13. In rotate with the shaft 13 while the die 25 ,is free on the shaft 12. In the pair F the die 26 Will rotate with the shaft 12 while the die 27 is free on the shaft 13.

the pair E the die 24 will The shafts 12 and 13 are rotated by con- I venient means.

its shows, raga 2'8 an a; is adapted tomesh with a pinion 29 on a countershaft 30"'jou'rna led"in the traine i and carrying a. gear 31 meshing with pinion 32 on a counter shattfidavhrclrcarries a driving pulley 34. v Thej'dies-gare i formed with ;1ntern1eslnng teeth adapted to form corrugations of a @011 venientsize in the-plain portions of they strips. The strip to be expanded isi fedtoa the, rotary dies from between a set of feed ing rollers' H' 'situated a distancedn' advance ee 1 6 dies and midway between them;--

for" :feediri'g" rollers'f inclu'des 4 lower mount meanest djusting fthe screws eirtending bar?v ;rotary dies arelaterally: separated a distance which corresponds to the ons'lOinithe strips? 'i'pherie's of ad acent" rollers are .sepa'ritedfrom' each other in a radraldrreo tionitwill; beseen that thetportion ll 'ofthe sti ips'willibelehipafided betwee n'fth ein to assumei the 'fp'rmatioagsho a in "10; At

he. s inek' ime;L-"th fre r et vwill'be formedthelplain portions10 which will shorten plain; portions"to ficorrespond length se shortening which takes H the expanded" portions as "they are The next operation is i the formation {of longitudinal ribs in the corrugated portions which? is'ja omplished bypassing the strip through cooperating diesl L and M mounted ontheshafis N-and0. These dies are of the, term in Fig; 4 andare adapted to form longitudinalfiribs' in the corrugated portion which will vserve to strengthen the same, Theseeorrugations may be increased in successive setsof dies Q, R, and S, T and .1 may" befin'ally causedto' produce the product shown in Figs. 11 an'd'lQ. To finally finislr'itheiproduchthe ribs 40 appearing in the fprodu'ct shown Figs; 11 and 12 are adapted to be closed somewhat and to have the corrugations pressed out to a certain extent whiehfwill upset the material to increase i the thi'ckness' of and strengthen the il fixlltt lad portion; This is most conveniently accomplished in a hydraulic press tyn us'eof the dies such as shown in Fig.

iad'ap ted ftojent'eirthe lower die &3; which lower 5 die: I is formed with pivoted wings 4A and A dnormallyheld a short distance above the base piece'46 bysprings 47 and 48 and being d esigned to be closed down against the tongue when the die 41 moves downwardly. In practice the die 41 will be contopiiof the yoke into; the cross" nected to the mo ble part 'of a press and strips of the product of convenient length, s'ay'siX-teen" feet will be -,p laced ,in

position in "it and 'thefdie operated to close the rib 40' and at the same time upset the corrugations;

The product ust described has many advantages, in particular the simultaneous "shortening and-,expans on avoids any undue strain in the various parts of the product and the final upsetting of the corrugations gives increased strengthto the. non-expand ed portion, andpin fact may be caused to increasevtheugageof :the metal in the unex panded portion. 1'

As: many changes: could be nad e in the I aboveconstruction andmany apparently gwid'ely difi erent embod ments of my nvem;

tion, withintheszscope-of the claims,

structedwithout departing from. the: spirit or scope thereof; it :is intendedthat ,all matter contained in the accomp'anyingspcification and drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative andin ot in a limiting sense What I claim as my invention is:

1. A machine for the" purpose specified comprising a-plurality of pairs of. corrugating dies,'one die ofeach-pairbeing free and v the peripheries of the adjacent dies beingradiallyseparatedto causethe. fabric to be expanded diagonally between them. a

2. A machine for ithaPllI'POSG specified comprising a plurality of; pairs of corrugating' dies,=one die of each pair being freeand the peripheries of the adj acent Ydies *Will: be radially separated to causelthe fabric to be expanded; diagonally-between them, and "a plurality of other rotary dies adapted to form ribs in: the corrugated'portions; of the Strip-- 3. A machine for the purpose specified comprising a series of pairs of rollers placed sideby side,-the periphery of adjacent pairs of rollers being separated in a radial direction whereby the-material passing throughthe-rollers isexpanded in a diagonal direction between: them. I

41A machine for the purpose specified comprising avseries of: pairs of rollers placed side by side, the periphery of adjacent pairs of rollers being'separated in a radial'direction whereby the material passing through the rollers is expanded in a diagonal direction between them, one roller ofeach-pairbeing-free. r a

' A'machine'for the purpose specified comprising a series of [corrugated roller dies placed side by'side, theperiphery of adjacent pairsof dies being separated in a radial direction whereby-the material pass- 7 ing throughthe dies is expanded in a diagonal direction between them.

6. A machine for the purpose specified comprising a series of pairs of rollers placed side by side, the peripheries of adjacent rollers being radially separated and the rollers being spaced apart whereby the material passing through them will be expanded between them, and feeding means adapted to feed the material medially be- -tween the rollers.

7. A machine for the purpose specified comprising a series of pairs of rollers placed side by side, the peripheries of adjacent rollers being radially separated and the rollers being spaced apart whereby the ma terial passing through them will be expanded between them, and feeding means adapted to feed the material medially between the rollers, said feeding means comprising a pair of rollers.

8. A machine for the purpose specified comprising a series of pairs of rollers placed side by side, the peripheries of adjacent rollers being radially separated and the rollers being spaced apart whereby the material passing through them will be expanded between them, and feedin means adapted to feed the material medially between the rollers, said feeding means comprising a plurality of pairs of independently adjustable feeding rollers.

9. A machine for expanding a sheet of metal having slitted and unslitted portions, comprising feeding means adapted to hold the sheet, and means for engaging and carrying alternate unslitted portions away from the plane of the sheet on opposite sides thereof.

10. A machine for expanding a sheet of metal having slitted and unslitted portions comprising means for separating the unslitted portions in adiagonal direction while feeding them longitudinally.

11. A machine for expanding a sheet of metal having slitted and unslitted portions comprising means for feeding the sheet longitudinally, and means operated during feeding of the sheet for carrying the unslitted portions away from each other in a diagonal direction alternately onopposite sides of the sheet.

12. A machine for expanding a sheet of metal having slitted and unslitted portions comprising means for drawing the unslitted portions away from each other while shortening the length thereof.

13. A machine for expanding a sheet of metal having slitted and unslitted portions comprising means for drawing the unslitted portions apart and simultaneously corrugating them transversely.

14. A machine for expanding a sheet of metal having slitted and unslitted portions comprising means for shortening the unslitted portions longitudinally while transversely expanding the laterally adjacent slitted portions.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM LOAGH.

.Witnesses:

BESSIE E. TREW, CHARLES F. PEARCE. 

